Charlotte, N.C., highschool working coach and former elite runner Matthew Elliott was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of “indecent liberties” with a pupil. Final Friday, the sufferer, who’s now an grownup, got here ahead to the native police division, reporting the inappropriate relationship she had with Elliott, who was her cross-country coach whereas she was enrolled on the college, Charlotte Nation Day.
Matthew Elliott was working as a coach at a personal Charlotte highschool when he had an inappropriate relationship with a feminine pupil, in line with police. https://t.co/99oXPHLCuw
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) November 14, 2024
Reportedly, the sufferer advised officers that Elliott flirted along with her and made “quite a few advances,” and that that they had an inappropriate relationship.
Elliott, 39, had been a coach and a substitute trainer at the highschool since 2015. After the allegations emerged, the college terminated Elliott’s employment, barred him from their campuses and knowledgeable households and alumni of the misconduct. The assertion revealed that the sufferer attended the college inside the previous few years.
“America’s quickest kindergarten trainer”
The event comes years after Elliott rose to fame in 2013 after putting fourth within the 1,500m on the U.S. Monitor and Subject Championships, beating elite runners whereas instructing full-time. An emotional post-race interview with Elliott went viral; the athlete even acquired autograph requests within the mail. That yr, he was known as “America’s Quickest Kindergarten Trainer,” and was a canopy mannequin for each Runner’s World and Operating Instances magazines.
Elliott was a kindergarten by means of third-grade trainer for kids with particular wants on the Palmetto College in Rock Hill, S.C. The journal story revealed that the instructing job required Elliott to behave as a bus driver as properly; he drove the youngsters to and from their houses earlier than and after college.
Throughout his profession, Elliott was coached by American Distance Mission coach Scott Simmons and joined the Crew Indiana Elite working group alongside athletes equivalent to William Leer. He broke the 4 minute barrier on a number of events and have become a Brooks-sponsored athlete.
He set his sights on making the 2016 U.S. Olympic group, and gave inspirational talks to cross-country groups about his journey. In 2021, Elliott was featured in a podcast for The Unearthing Mission, the place he shared his working and training tales. Elliott hasn’t competed since 2019, in line with his World Athletics profile.
Not one of the latest allegations towards Elliott have been confirmed in court docket. Information sources report the previous coach was held on a USD $10,000 bond and was launched on Thursday morning, however was set to face a choose that afternoon.
